| Features | SphereJet™ | VaporJet™ | Jetlab®4-µBalance | Jetlab®-Atmosphere |
| Printheads | Room & Low Temp. | Room Temp. | Low & High Temp. | Low & High Temp. |
| Print area | N/A | N/A | Custom | Custom |
| Pos. Accuracy | N/A | N/A | Custom | Custom |
| Pos. repeatability | N/A | N/A | Custom | Custom |
| X & Y stage speed | N/A | N/A | Custom | Custom |
| Z stage | Manual or motorized | N/A | Motorized | Motorized |
| Image analysis | N/A | N/A | Option | Option |
| Applications | Polymer/Drug microsphere generation | Trace vapor generation | Printed electronics, Sensors, Biomedical, Polymers, 3D printing | Printed electronics, Sensors, Biomedical, Polymers, 3D printing |
For applications that require verifiable precision, the jetlab® 4xl-B integrates an ultra micro-balance with a jetlab® 4xl Printing Platform. The printhead may be positioned either over the X-Y stages for printing or over the balance for weight measurements. All balance measurement and reporting functions are under the control of the system software. Weight measurement results can be used in the program to control printing, including fully automated printing using the standard scripting technology of jetlab® print stations. Target substrates or objects of up to 50 mm height are supported.
Brochure (PDF)
NIST paper on Inkjet Metrology (PDF)
Incorporating MicroFab’s highly successful jetlab® II and jetlab® 4 microdispensing and printing platforms into an MBRAUN Labmaster ®series glovebox, the Controlled Atmosphere configurations of the jetlab®II and jetlab®4 allow customers to develop precision printing applications using materials and processes that are oxygen or moisture sensitive. Examples include printing electronic and photonic polymers used in displays and RFID tags; printing and post-processing nano-metal aluminum or copper inks as conductive traces or under-bump metallization; printing and fluxless reflow of solder for hermetic package sealing; printing and converting copper-based organo-metallic inks; and printing bacteria-free tissue scaffolds. The jetlab® II and jetlab® 4 can be incorporated into a standard laminar flow hood for tissue engineering and other applications.
Brochure (PDF)
MicroFab has expanded its developments in vapor generation for olfaction to the generation of vapors for calibrating explosives detectors, or other trace-vapor detectors.
A digitally controlled ink-jet dispenser ejects minute amounts of a dilute standard solution which is rapidly converted into vapor upon deposition onto a heater. The amount of vapor delivered to the detector is controlled by the number of drops (dose mode is specified number of drops) or the frequency of the droplet generation (continuous mode is droplets generated continuously at set frequency).
The vapor generator can be used to quantify the detection limit of trace-vapor detectors in the field or in the lab during development.
Brochure (PDF)
Product Description (PDF)
Technology Background
MicroFab has taken three popular ink-jet based microsphere production methods and combined them into a single bench top research platform. Based on MicroFab’s research into ink-jet manufactured drug loaded microspheres, The SphereJet™ system combines drop-on-demand, pressure assisted drop on demand, and continuous ink-jet drop formation. Drop generation rates of up to 50kHz and drop diameters of 20 µm to 100 µm can be achieved. With the SphereJet™ system, researchers can develop new materials and protocols based on the solvent extraction/evaporation method of microsphere manufacturing.